Killing Monks

Jinjia Temple.

Today, the martial monk Guangyuan has been transferred from the west wing to the east wing and is now serving under his uncle Zhikuneng.

Jinjia Temple is a place of spiritual practice for many, and it is also the most prominent temple within a radius of hundreds of miles. Incense burns continuously on ordinary days, and during temple fairs, crowds surge forth, with people from hundreds of miles around coming to attend.

The temple is divided into an east wing and a west wing.

The East Wing is in charge of temple affairs, finances, and secular matters, while the West Wing is in charge of precepts, doctrines, and practice.

The term "Zhiku" refers to the person in charge of finances in the Eastern Section.

Since his arrival in this world, Guangyuan has spent his life practicing martial arts and reading scriptures in the eastern part of the temple, rarely venturing down the mountain.

In his previous life, he was frail and sickly. After working for only a few years after adulthood, his old illness relapsed, and he was bedridden.

In his last few years, he became a lay Buddhist with a rudimentary faith, and when his health improved, he often did volunteer work.

In his past life, he was plagued by illness, but in this life he has a healthy body.

Isn't this a blessing?

He firmly believes that he was transported to this world because he was involved with Buddhism in his previous life.

Otherwise, how could such a coincidence happen?

In particular, his past lives, which were like "innate wisdom," allowed him to often display a level of understanding beyond his years when practicing martial arts and debating scriptures, and the entire temple held him in high regard.

According to the temple's plans, he may very well become a great virtuous man in the future.

Now that he has turned sixteen, he can finally participate in the temple's secular affairs.

"Junior Brother Guangyuan, it's time to set off." Senior Brother Guangchen called out, his eyes filled with envy as he looked at Guangyuan's tall and upright figure and calm demeanor.

In this Buddhist kingdom of Southern Tang, martial arts cultivation is divided into three realms: the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm.

The Desire Realm is further divided into three realms: the Realm of Forging Mortals, the Realm of Seeking Breath, and the Realm of Hearing.

Guang Chen has been cultivating diligently for over twenty years, yet he remains at the Mortal Forging Realm, while Guang Yuan, at a young age, has already stepped into the Breath Seeking Realm. How could he not feel envious?

"Senior Brother Guangchen, shall we go?" Guangyuan said with a smile.

He felt he was very lucky in this life, so he loved to laugh.

The two descended the mountain together. On the way, Guangchen explained their mission for the day to him. Guangyuan then realized that their purpose was to collect the "incense money."

"That family's surname is Li. They originally had five mu of good land, two of which had been mortgaged to the temple," Guangchen said as he walked. "Last spring, they mortgaged the remaining three mu of land to the temple and borrowed four strings of cash to buy seeds."

"But last year was a bad year, and the temple took pity on him and allowed him to wait until this year."

"Who knew that even after the temple urged him to return it several times this year, he just wouldn't pay it back."

"Therefore, today, we brothers and I will have to make the trip ourselves."

Guangyuan listened and vaguely sensed something was amiss, so he asked, "Senior Brother Guangchen, how much should he repay?"

"Not much, nineteen strings and three hundred and ten coins," Guang Chen replied casually.

"How much?" Guangyuan paused.

One string of cash is one thousand coins.

He borrowed four strings of cash, and after more than a year, he was required to repay nineteen strings.

Is that right?

Guang Chen glanced at him, a half-smile playing on his lips: "Junior Brother thinks it's too much?"

Guangyuan nodded.

"Junior brother, you don't have much experience with worldly affairs, so you don't understand the principles involved," Guangchen said unhurriedly. "What we lent him was to help him through his difficulties, not money."

"What is that?"

"It's merit!" Guangchen answered matter-of-factly. "As for the extra money, it's not interest for the temple, it's their own 'blessing'."

"Good fortune?" When Guangyuan heard this word, he subconsciously thought of the "996" work schedule from his previous life.

"That's right! Wouldn't it be a way to accumulate more good karma for the eminent monks in the temple if this money were used for them?" Guangchen said logically.

"..." Guangyuan found the word "blessing" particularly jarring, but since today was his first time handling worldly affairs, he didn't say anything more.

He just felt that if they needed money, why would they need a martial monk like him to go out?

So what did he become?

The two walked for more than an hour and arrived at a village.

We saw the family in front of a thatched hut.

The house was dilapidated, and a gaunt man wearing faded old clothes knelt down with a thud upon seeing the two monks.

"Buddha! Buddha, spare my life! It's not that I don't want to pay back the money, it's that I truly have no money..."

Hearing the title "Buddha" made Guangyuan feel uncomfortable.

Guang Chen, however, had changed his expression, becoming stern, and scolded, "Li Daniu, how dare you! You dare to refuse to pay back the temple's money?"

"That's not money, it's the temple borrowing your merit! Now you owe the temple merit, aren't you afraid of going to the tongue-pulling hell after you die?"

Upon hearing the word "hell," Li Daniu trembled and said in a tearful voice, "But...but Master...I really don't have any money..."

"Don't you still have Tianyao?" Guangchen said coldly. "Those three acres of land can always pay off the debt."

"If Tian is gone... how will Xiao Ni and I live?" Li Daniu was at a loss, his voice trembling.

At this moment, Guangyuan noticed a small head peeking out of the house.

It was a little girl of seven or eight years old, with her dark eyes wide open, timidly looking at her father kneeling on the ground.

Guang Chen shook his head: "At market price, your three acres of land are worth at most twelve strings of cash."

"But... but a few years ago... someone offered twenty strings of cash!" Li Daniu said hurriedly.

"Last year's harvest was bad, land prices have already fallen!" Guang Chen's tone became more serious. "I, Buddha, am merciful; calculating based on this year's market prices is already an extraordinary act of kindness!"

He then pointed to the dilapidated thatched hut: "This hut is worth at most two strings of cash. So, you still owe five strings and three hundred and ten coins. What do you suggest we do?"

Cold sweat beaded on Li Daniu's forehead. He hadn't expected that even sacrificing the fields and houses wouldn't be enough.

"How about this," Guangchen's tone suddenly softened, "you sign a 'Self-Sacrifice to Pay Off Debts' agreement, and from now on, the temple will cover your and your daughter's food and lodging."

"...Senior brother," Guangyuan finally spoke after a long silence, "what is the 'Contract for Paying Off Debts with One's Life'?"

As he looked at the scene before him, the uneasy feeling in his heart grew stronger.

At that moment, he suddenly felt that he was not a monk who was saving all living beings, but rather... an accomplice who aided and abetted evil.

Guangchen took out a pre-prepared contract from his bosom and handed it to Guangyuan.

Guangyuan unfolded it and saw that it read:

"...He made a vow before the Buddha, willingly offering himself and his family (sons and daughters) to the Golden Shackle Temple as 'temple residents'..."

"...I regret that my karmic obstacles are too heavy and my blessings too shallow, which has led to my current predicament. I am willing to dedicate this body to serving the Buddha's teachings, in order to purify my past karmic debts and accumulate merit for my next life..."

"...With compassion, grant...this request is to open the door of expediency and deliver all sentient beings from the sea of ​​suffering."

It involves voluntariness, children, sins, servants, compassion, and universal salvation...

As each word pierced his eyes, Guangyuan's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

How dare they link these words together!

Where is there even a trace of "voluntariness" in this?

Where is even a trace of "compassion"?

What kind of "saving all living beings" is this?

He looked up and saw that, under Guangchen's intimidation, Li Daniu was almost ready to agree to give himself, his daughter, and the land to the temple.

From then on, I became a "monk household" and a "temple household".

"Senior brother, wait a moment..." Guangyuan said.